About Essential Oils

Essential oils are watery fluids extracted from the leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, seeds and other parts of plants, flowers and trees. Because of their complexity, essential oils cannot be replicated in a laboratory and are known for their intense aroma and medicinal properties. Essential oils are made up of chemicals that have the ability to treat ailments and conditions, from anxiety to skin wounds.

History

Ancient civilizations have long used essential oils for everything from beautifying the body to warding off evil spirits. In her book "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils," Julia Lawless says that juniper has been used in Tibet to purify their temples for centuries while the 4000-year-old Vedic literature of India lists hundreds of substances, including many essential oils, that were used for liturgical and therapeutic purposes.
Perhaps the richest history of the use of essential oils comes from the ancient Egyptians who used a number of expensive essential oils, such as cedar and myrrh, in the mummification process. The Egyptians were also well-known for their herbal preparations as well as their cosmetics and beauty preparations containing essential oil. The famous beauty, Cleopatra, was known to bathe in waters scented with rose petals long before steam distillation could extract the precious oils from the flower.

Origins

Essential oils come from almost every part of many flowers and plants. According to Lawless, petitgrain, bay, eucalyptus, mugwort and peppermint essential oils are all extracted from the leaves of the plant or tree. Silver fir needle oil is extracted from the needles and twigs. Canadian balsam and frankincense are oleoresins collected by puncturing the tree's bark. Rosewood is extracted from the wood chippings of the tree. Angelica is produced by steam distillation of the roots and rhizomes of the plant. Rose is extracted from the petals of the flower and lemon and orange essential oils are collected from the peel of the fruit.

Uses

Essential oils are made up of a number of chemicals that have medicinal value. For instance, essential oils that contain terpenes, such as citrus oils, pine and chamomile, have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and are used in sprays and ointments while those containing esters, such as lavender and clary sage, are used for their ability to sedate.
Because many essential oils contain anti-microbial properties, they are used in a variety of cleaning products such as disinfectants, deodorizers and household cleaners.
Due to the highly concentrated aromas of most essential oils, the precious liquids are commonly used to fragrance products such as perfumes, moisturizers and candles. Some essential oils, such as rose, jasmine and vanilla, are ingredients in some of the world's most expensive perfumes and colognes.
Essential oils can also be diffused, or heated, to release the aromas and their healing effects into a room. The use of essential oils for their therapeutic benefits is also called aromatherapy.

Ingredients

Essential oils are comprised mainly of chemicals, including terpenes, esters, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, oxides and phenols. They do not actually contain oil, but are extremely volatile, meaning they change from a liquid to a gas quite rapidly. That is why essential oils evaporate more quickly than their synthetic counterparts, which are often adulterated with plant oils.